Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Earns 86-55 Victory At Central Michigan--csuvikings.com
State hoops: Western Michigan women rally to send ailing teammate home for the holidays--Detroit News
Slam dunks
∎Detroit Mercy head coach Mike Davis told us over and over he was thrilled with his roster additions before the season, but you never really know for sure until you see them playing together. We've seen enough now. The Titans are talented, as displayed in Wednesday's 76-72 win at Tulsa, where graduate-transfer forward Gerald Liddell (27 points, 12 rebounds) had his third double-double in three games since being activated, and freshman swingman Isaiah Jones, reigning Horizon League freshman of the week, had a huge 3 late as the Titans snapped an 11-game nonconference road-game skid that dated to December 2020. Detroit Mercy is just 5-5, but has had injury, illness and paperwork issues that have kept the Titans from putting a full roster on the court. (Even Mike Davis was off the floor in last week's loss at Cleveland State, following a rare ejection.) With a full roster, including senior Antoine Davis (35 points from 3,000), they're going to be dangerous.
Transfer Zae Blake is an early bright spot for UWGB men's basketball team--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay Women's Basketball Returns Home, Set to Battle North Dakota State--greenbayphoenix.com
State hoops: Western Michigan women rally to send ailing teammate home for the holidays--Detroit News
Groaning Grizzlies
The talent is there, but the results, well, they most certainly are not.
Which has Oakland head coach Greg Kampe baffled by the Golden Grizzlies' 2-9 start. He expected some struggles on defense, and they've been plenty evident, none more so than when Syracuse shot 58.3% in a 95-66 victory Tuesday. But it's the stalled offense that Kampe didn't envision, not with offseason additions of Rocket Watts, Keaton Hervey and Lorne Bowman (the latter who missed Syracuse with an illness).
Oakland is basically redshirt sophomore forward Trey Townsend (29 points, 12 rebounds) and nothing else right now.
One reason for the offensive woes: Injuries. Particularly to senior guard Jalen Moore, who's been playing on a bad ankle for weeks now. Kampe was asked after the win over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 19 why he wouldn't just shut him down for two weeks, to get him healthy for the thick of the Horizon League schedule. Kampe said Moore wanted to play, and Kampe wanted to be loyal to a player who could've transferred out to a Power Five school anytime in the last two years.
The loyalty card is over now. Kampe said after Tuesday's game that he's shutting Moore down "until he can look me in the eye and tell me he's 100%."
That may or may not be before Oakland's next game, at Boise State on Dec. 18 (two days before Eastern Michigan plays in the Potato Bowl out there). After Boise State, Oakland gets Michigan State on Dec. 21. There's a good chance Oakland will be 2-11 before resuming league play Dec. 29 against Milwaukee.
There's at least one piece of good news for the Golden Grizzlies. Junior guard Blake Lampman, a big 3-point threat, could return earlier than expected from a broken left arm. He could be ready for Boise State.
It's too early to write Oakland off completely. In 2020-21, remember, the Golden Grizzlies started the season 0-9 and ended up playing for the Horizon League tournament championship. But that little factoid is not making it any easier to be in that Oakland locker room right now.
"It's kind of sad to watch us," Kampe said.
Women’s Basketball returns to non-conference action at Marshall and Tennessee--wsuraiders.com
Women Above the Horizon in Conference Play--The Jambar
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